Page:Wonderful and surprising narrative of Capt. John Inglefield.pdf/5

 m stowed upon twenty chaldron of coals, which had unfortunately been started in this part of the ship, and them the pumps were continually choaked. The main-pumps were so much worn as to be of little use, and the leathers, which had the well been clear, would have lasted twenty days or more, were all consumed in. At this time it was observed, that the water had a passage to the well, for here there were so much,  it washed against the orlop deck. All the rum, ( 6 puncheons), all the provisions, of which there were months in casks, were stove. Having floated with from side to side, until there was not a whole  remaining, even the staves that were found upon  the hold, were most of them broken in two or  pieces. In the fore-hold we had a prospect of should the ship swim; we had no water but what remained in the ground-tier, and over this all the wet provisions and buts filled with salt water were floating, and with such motion that no man could with safety go into the hold  There was nothing left but bailing with buckets at the fore-hatch-way and fish-room, and twelve large canvass buckets were immediately employed at each. On opening the fish-room we were so fortunate as to discover, that two puncheons of rum, which belonged to me, had escaped, they were immediately got up, and served out at times in drams; and had it not been for this relief, and some lime-juice, the people would have dropped.

We soon found our account in bailing; the spare pump had been put down the fore-hatch-way, and a pump shifted to the fish-room, but the motion of the ship had washed the coals so small, that they reached every part of the ship, and the pumps soon choaked. However the water by noon had considerably diminished by working the buckets, but there appeared no prospect of saving the ship if the gale continued; the labour was too great to hold out without water, yet the people worked without a murmur, and indeed with chearfulness.

At this time the weather was more moderate, and a couple of spars were got ready for shears to get up a y-fore-mast; but as the evening came on, the gale again increased. We had seen nothing this day but the